The Screen That Ate Your Child’s Education

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There can be a happy medium. Elementary school kids don't need computers. Let them learn the fundamentals with pen and paper - math, reading, how to write legibly, teachers reading aloud, etc. Gradually work in more tech in middle and high school. Schools have been totally conned by EdTech companies and they need to get rid of all of it.

- HS teacher for 25 years

This is at least reasonable. I’d still love to see plenty of handwritten work in MS and HS. (This will become more important to prove you didn’t use AI.)

I sell tech and I want my kids far from it. Not because tech has no value at all, but because it does *not* improve education. I have heard the ed sellers talk about needing to lock in kids’ brand preferences as early as possible because they are the customers of the future. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There can be a happy medium. Elementary school kids don't need computers. Let them learn the fundamentals with pen and paper - math, reading, how to write legibly, teachers reading aloud, etc. Gradually work in more tech in middle and high school. Schools have been totally conned by EdTech companies and they need to get rid of all of it.

- HS teacher for 25 years

This is at least reasonable. I’d still love to see plenty of handwritten work in MS and HS. (This will become more important to prove you didn’t use AI.)

I sell tech and I want my kids far from it. Not because tech has no value at all, but because it does *not* improve education. I have heard the ed sellers talk about needing to lock in kids’ brand preferences as early as possible because they are the customers of the future. No thanks.

There are plenty of ways to cheat without ai.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an early elementary teacher and mom of current high schoolers, I agree that screens are overused is some classrooms. This seems to be worse the older the kids get.
However, are we also going to discuss kid’s access to screens at home? Over the years I see young children far less prepared to interact with peers in a classroom setting. When I ask them what they did over the weekend I hear a lot more about what they did on the phones (they are 4 and 5) than what they did with human beings.

Agree! I remember when the American Academy of Pediatricians had screentime guidelines per kids ages. Now, you've got 5 yr olds on screens all day and no one says a word about it. I feel so sorry for these kids today. Their parents just let them melt their brains so they don't have to raise them. I even feel sorry for the little ones at Costco in the cart watching mommy's phone instead of looking around at all the stuff, running the aisles, heck even whining and crying is a better use of their time. Moved my kid to tech -free school after seeing how the screens all day ruined my older one's education. Lesson learned.

The smart kids / good students may navigate it but what opportunities are lost!? And the poor students - well, they are seriously underserved with the screens in the classroom. The window to impart skills for these ones (usually the boys!) will be closed by high school and some may be forever doomed and uneducated. Way to go EdTech! You got scammed America.

Moderation. I allowed educational videos and apps. It helped with early reading. It’s a tool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There can be a happy medium. Elementary school kids don't need computers. Let them learn the fundamentals with pen and paper - math, reading, how to write legibly, teachers reading aloud, etc. Gradually work in more tech in middle and high school. Schools have been totally conned by EdTech companies and they need to get rid of all of it.

- HS teacher for 25 years

This is at least reasonable. I’d still love to see plenty of handwritten work in MS and HS. (This will become more important to prove you didn’t use AI.)

I sell tech and I want my kids far from it. Not because tech has no value at all, but because it does *not* improve education. I have heard the ed sellers talk about needing to lock in kids’ brand preferences as early as possible because they are the customers of the future. No thanks.

There are plenty of ways to cheat without ai.

Yeah, we know. What’s your point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an early elementary teacher and mom of current high schoolers, I agree that screens are overused is some classrooms. This seems to be worse the older the kids get.
However, are we also going to discuss kid’s access to screens at home? Over the years I see young children far less prepared to interact with peers in a classroom setting. When I ask them what they did over the weekend I hear a lot more about what they did on the phones (they are 4 and 5) than what they did with human beings.

Agree! I remember when the American Academy of Pediatricians had screentime guidelines per kids ages. Now, you've got 5 yr olds on screens all day and no one says a word about it. I feel so sorry for these kids today. Their parents just let them melt their brains so they don't have to raise them. I even feel sorry for the little ones at Costco in the cart watching mommy's phone instead of looking around at all the stuff, running the aisles, heck even whining and crying is a better use of their time. Moved my kid to tech -free school after seeing how the screens all day ruined my older one's education. Lesson learned.

The smart kids / good students may navigate it but what opportunities are lost!? And the poor students - well, they are seriously underserved with the screens in the classroom. The window to impart skills for these ones (usually the boys!) will be closed by high school and some may be forever doomed and uneducated. Way to go EdTech! You got scammed America.

Moderation. I allowed educational videos and apps. It helped with early reading. It’s a tool.

Per the article, they, result in worse reading skills and dumber kids. It’s not a tool that’s helping

[Anonymous]

I’ll just add also that handwriting- and in particular script- is an actual proven tool to assist dyslexic kids. There is a connection bw the brain and the muscle memory in writing that improves their skills. I mention it bc it is one of many unspoken benefits of doing school the old fashioned way.

I implore parents to all types of kids to not waste away these grammar school years. Hand writing, reading books and using pens and paper develop mental and physical skills that our kids need. The edtech shortcuts don’t cut the mustard. There will be ample time in high school and beyond to use technology and tools but mastering basics while they are young creates pathways in the brain that kids need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll just add also that handwriting- and in particular script- is an actual proven tool to assist dyslexic kids. There is a connection bw the brain and the muscle memory in writing that improves their skills. I mention it bc it is one of many unspoken benefits of doing school the old fashioned way.

I implore parents to all types of kids to not waste away these grammar school years. Hand writing, reading books and using pens and paper develop mental and physical skills that our kids need. The edtech shortcuts don’t cut the mustard. There will be ample time in high school and beyond to use technology and tools but mastering basics while they are young creates pathways in the brain that kids need.

Agreed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been a school psychologist for 25 years and screen time is detrimental to mental, emotional, and social development in children IMHO. Montessori and private schools are gaining in popularity because they encourage children to interact with each other and their environment leading to healthier and better educated children.

Another school psychologist who has realized screens are way overused in elementary schools to the detriment of most students. I started out as an elementary teacher for five years teaching 1st and 2nd grades then became a school psychologist over 20 years ago.

I regularly observe in classrooms because I have to observe the students I am assessing. I try to slip in and stand in a back corner so students don’t realize I am even in the room.

The vast majority of students are really unproductive when given a Chromebook or iPad and assigned work. The teachers in the front of the room often think the students are doing work but they are watching videos, playing games, or writing notes to each other on a shared google doc.

Even when students are on an assigned task it is often such passive learning. Click here, swipe there- yeah, now you can play a quick game embedded into the program, now back to clicking and swiping. The lesson is over and the teacher cant walk the room and get immediate feedback on how far students progressed, what they learned, who didn't do much at all.

For one rotation of independent work, it can be helpful but now screens are so overused. It is horrific to walk into classrooms and see the teacher is playing a YouTube video of a read aloud and glancing at a phone instead of reading the book out loud and engaging with students.

Instead of students having math textbooks with worked examples (the problem is solved step by step often color coded with explanations of the steps) students are supposed to follow along as the teacher projects work on a large TV screen and write the steps. The problem is students are absent, went to the bathroom, weren’t paying attention so they don’t know how to solve the problems when they go home and try and do homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There can be a happy medium. Elementary school kids don't need computers. Let them learn the fundamentals with pen and paper - math, reading, how to write legibly, teachers reading aloud, etc. Gradually work in more tech in middle and high school. Schools have been totally conned by EdTech companies and they need to get rid of all of it.

- HS teacher for 25 years

This is at least reasonable. I’d still love to see plenty of handwritten work in MS and HS. (This will become more important to prove you didn’t use AI.)

I sell tech and I want my kids far from it. Not because tech has no value at all, but because it does *not* improve education. I have heard the ed sellers talk about needing to lock in kids’ brand preferences as early as possible because they are the customers of the future. No thanks.

There are plenty of ways to cheat without ai.

Yes, but AI is making the cheating problem much worse.

In-class hand written essays are making a comeback in some HSs and some college classes specifically to mitigate the AI issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Naw. Screens are an integral part of our lives. They belong in schools.

Not going back to slate and chalk. Nope.

You will when you see the absolute morons that the next generation is turning out to be. They can't focus on anything at all.

It’s not about school chromebooks. It’s about lazy parenting, young kids who “need” smartphones and iPads every day at home. Sorry. Parents don’t like hearing it and want to deflect blame elsewhere, but it’s the truth.

It absolutely IS about the school Chromebooks.

At home, our kids do not have phones, do not use iPads (one exception: limited FaceTime with distant relatives), do not use computers, do not have any TV, and have very limited access to some age-appropriate DVDs.

The ONLY place they have uncontrolled screen time is during the school day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There can be a happy medium. Elementary school kids don't need computers. Let them learn the fundamentals with pen and paper - math, reading, how to write legibly, teachers reading aloud, etc. Gradually work in more tech in middle and high school. Schools have been totally conned by EdTech companies and they need to get rid of all of it.

- HS teacher for 25 years

This is at least reasonable. I’d still love to see plenty of handwritten work in MS and HS. (This will become more important to prove you didn’t use AI.)

I sell tech and I want my kids far from it. Not because tech has no value at all, but because it does *not* improve education. I have heard the ed sellers talk about needing to lock in kids’ brand preferences as early as possible because they are the customers of the future. No thanks.

There are plenty of ways to cheat without ai.

Yes, but AI is making the cheating problem much worse.

In-class hand written essays are making a comeback in some HSs and some college classes specifically to mitigate the AI issues.

Honestly. I'm less concerned about AI than the amount of in-class time being spent on homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is funny that only the wealthy will be able to access tech free education. So ridiculous that we need to pay to have less of it. Ed tech has really fooled the masses.

They are paying high salaries to human beings to teach their kids. Are you willing to do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is funny that only the wealthy will be able to access tech free education. So ridiculous that we need to pay to have less of it. Ed tech has really fooled the masses.

They are paying high salaries to human beings to teach their kids. Are you willing to do that?

Pay teachers? Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My elementary and middle school-aged children all have entirely screen-free educations. They don't have phones or ipads either. It's...amazing.

Where is this and how do I get there?

Probably a Christian private school

That's correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My elementary and middle school-aged children all have entirely screen-free educations. They don't have phones or ipads either. It's...amazing.

And how much do you pay for that privilege?

Six figures a year in tuition between three kids. It's unjust as several PPs have pointed out that screen-free education (which is so obviously superior) is for those who can afford it.